By Canadian Press

Tory Leader Erin O’Toole evades questions about Alberta’s response to COVID-19 surge

Sep 16, 2021 | 10:45 AM

SAINT JOHN, N.B. — Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole evaded questions on Thursday about Alberta Premier Jason Kenney’s decision to call a public health emergency and introduce a vaccine passport system.

O’Toole wouldn’t utter Kenney’s name despite repeated questions from reporters about how he thought the leader of the United Conservative Party has managed a surge in COVID-19 infections that has the province’s hospital system on the brink of collapse.

Alberta’s NDP Opposition says Kenney and his United Conservative Party had pushed to reopen faster and harder than any other province and had refused to act for weeks when it had become obvious COVID-19 transmission was getting out of control.

But O’Toole wouldn’t criticize the conservative premier and instead attacked Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau for “calling a $600-million election” during the pandemic. He said if he’s elected, his government would work with all provinces — regardless of which party is in power — to reduce COVID-19 transmission instead of what he called Trudeau’s approach of fighting with premiers.

He also suggested that the Liberal leader’s handling of the pandemic has made it more difficult for premiers to reduce COVID-19 transmission in their provinces.

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“Mr. Trudeau called an election that’s costing us $600 million dollars rather than keeping the Delta variant from spreading, rather than actually working together,” O’Toole told reporters during a campaign stop in Saint John, N.B. 

“The federal prime minister needs to partner with the provinces, needs to deliver on vaccines, on rapid tests, needs to keep variants out of Canada.”

“Mr. Trudeau has failed to do all that and that’s made the job difficult for all premiers. I will be there not to fight with them but to provide leadership and I would never call an election in the middle of a health crisis.”

On Wednesday, Kenney reintroduced limits on gatherings and asked other provinces to use their intensive care beds. The head of the province’s health services said the system has never had so many people in intensive care at one time.

In Montreal on Thursday, Trudeau said conservative politicians across the country have not been as effective in fighting the pandemic, and he questioned whether O’Toole should be sitting across from them at the premiers’ table.

The federal Tory leader refused to say who he thought has done a better job managing the pandemic, Kenney or Trudeau. O’Toole said he had not spoken with Kenney since the Alberta premier announced he would reimpose COVID-19 restrictions.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 16, 2021.

Stephanie Taylor, The Canadian Press